Author Archives: BrianKrebs

Treasury Dept: Tor a Big Source of Bank Fraud

December 5, 2014

A new report from the U.S. Treasury Department found that a majority of bank account takeovers by cyberthieves over the past decade might have been thwarted had affected institutions known to look for and block transactions coming through Tor, a global communications network that helps users maintain anonymity by obfuscating their true location online.

Be Wary of ‘Order Confirmation’ Emails

December 3, 2014

If you receive an email this holiday season asking you to “confirm” an online e-commerce order or package shipment, please resist the urge to click the included link or attachment: Malware purveyors and spammers are blasting these missives by the millions each day in a bid to trick people into giving up control over their computers and identities.

Skimmer Innovation: ‘Wiretapping’ ATMs

November 26, 2014

Banks in Europe are warning about the emergence of a rare form of ATM skimmer involving a wire-like device that is inserted through a tiny hole cut in the cash machine’s front. The hole is covered up by a fake decal, and the thieves somehow attach the device to the place inside the ATM where the customer’s card is inserted.

Spam Nation Book Tour Highlights

November 24, 2014

Greetings from sunny Austin, Texas, where I’m getting ready to wrap up a week-long book tour that began in New York City, then blazed through Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle. I’ve been trying to tweet links to various media interviews about Spam Nation over the past week, but wanted to offer a more comprehensive account and to share some highlights of the tour